Ramble On

February 23, 2021 Ramble On

Mountain Palm Springs Campground Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Julian, California Day 2

The 2/3 full moon was so bright last night that you could walk outside without a flashlight. Only the major constellations were visible. At 4:30 when I got up, the moon had set. There was a multitude of stars and the familiar white haze of the Milky Way and it was dazzling. I watched the stars as I lay back in bed. What a wonderful luxury. The furnace didn’t come on until nearly 5:00am. The temperatures plummet just before dawn and then the morning sun quickly warms the air.

I started my walk on the sandy road back to the paved highway. Our campsite.

I entered the wash and took meandering paths carved into the desert by monsoon rains.

There were all kinds of bunny tracks and coyote prints. The sand is bright white and coarse, scoured and abraded by wind and rain and scorching heat, from granite boulders.

I saw several jackrabbits roused by my approach, nimble and quick, bounding from their daytime hiding places in burrows beneath the protection of thorny bushes. Sometimes, all I glimpsed were the black tips of their ears in motion and showing among the cholla.

Hawks, ever watchful perched on the highest branches of ocotillo.

I returned to the RV and was eating my yogurt when I saw a pair of coyotes prowling along the ridge.

It was just a short distance to the Jeep trail into Indian Gorge. We didn’t realize that we were climbing until we arrived at the end and turned to see the valley below.

We took a second trail into the Canyon Sin Nombre…without a name. This trail passed through a canyon.

Then, we were in a wash for a long time.

We found a slot canyon where we enjoyed our lunch and then a hike. At the end there were giant rocks blocking our way. Tim climbed over the first set and I was willing to do the same until he said there were many more obstacles like it ahead. We turned back to the Jeep, the hike at its ending place.